St. Matthew’s University allege harassment, threats
For the past five years, Ambergris Caye has been home to the St. Matthew’s Medical University, but at the end of this month, the institution will relocate to another part of the Caribbean. While they had announced their departure date, an incident over the weekend had teachers and students leaving a little earlier than planned. By the time News 5’s Ann-Marie Williams arrived to diagnose the situation, things were still serious.
Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting
St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine on San Pedro, Ambergris Caye has been operating on the island since 1997. According to then president, Dr. Geoffrey Seersland, on June first, 2001, a week after graduation, there was a hostile take over of the medical school by among other, Dr. Michael Harris, chairman of the board.
Dr. Geoffrey Seersland, Former President, St. Matthew’s
“And they locked down all the buildings.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“Who’s they?”
Dr. Geoffrey Seersland
“Dr. Michael Harris and company, which is his wife and his bookkeeper from the U.S. and security that he hired, along with his attorneys. Came to the school and basically, physically removed my wife, myself and key personnel at the university in order to complete their take over attempt. In lue of this whole take over, there was a lot of negative propaganda, simply because I was the founder of St. Matthew’s University. It was, certainly as everyone knows, it was my baby and I was very proud of St. Matthew’s in Belize. It was doing very well when I was there.”
So well in fact, Seersland says, he came under attack. But that was only the start of his problems.
Dr. Geoffrey Seersland
“So I think part of the take over…number one, it had to be a bit personal, a lot of ego, greed I would say because people knew the school was very lucrative at the time. As well as the idea for long-term plans to be out of Belize. That’s what I feel. I feel that was always the hidden agenda.”
St. Matthew’s appointed a new president last year, Dr. Henry Haire, who said since taking over, they were in the process of rebuilding students confidence. But he contends problems over the weekend have made an already bad situation worse.
Dr. Henry Haire, President, St. Matthew’s
“Sunday morning about 8:15, Dr. Seersland came upon stepped upon our walkway here and Mr. Seffi Paz, and they had a private security force, that they had hired apparently, to come and remove us or to evict us from the space, which we paid our rent and everything. And they came into the student library and they told the students to leave the library within one hour. They stated that they would not be allowed to return for their final exams unless certain conditions were met.”
Haire says not only has their academic environment been destroyed, several of the medical students are frightened for their lives.
Dr. Henry Haire
“In fact, our students were threatened. There were people who threatened our students with bodily harm and therefore I made a very tough decision this morning. Because there was a threat that they would return with their security police force, which numbered at least twelve or fourteen, and overpowering our number of police or security. So that we felt we were at great risk and great harm.”
Sefferino Paz Jr., Owner, Banyan Bay
“We have not threatened anybody there. We wanted to stop any removal of the assets because they have some commitments that they haven’t fulfilled, that’s all.”
Dr. Haire contends that because of this kind of harassment over an extended period of time, he’s decided to call it quits and move the school to the Cayman Islands. He feels his decision was prudent when Dr. Seersland opened another school, the Medical University of the Americans…just a stone’s throw away from St. Matthew’s.
Dr. Henry Haire
“Immediately after the change in the administration, there was an attempt to open a second medical school here on this island. And of course, St. Matthew’s University has a charter that gave them the freedom to be the only medical school on the island of Ambergris Caye for ten years. However, he apparently has been successful in opening a Medical University of the Americas. It’s down the road, perhaps a block and a half and there’s been constant attempts at recruiting our students and I look at that as a form of harassment.”
Seersland, who wrote the school’s charter, says Dr. Harris, as the board’s chairman, was supposed to pay sums of money to the government, but didn’t.
Dr. Geoffrey Seersland
“The board of directors who runs the school, and Dr. Harris in particular, said that he would not pay the country any money until the school was two years profitable. And I says that’s not the charter says, it says when the students enrol, we’re supposed to give a little bit back to Karl Heusner [Memorial Hospital] and to the local health care community. So basically, that was always an ongoing issue that was going back and forth I terms of our board meetings.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“So you think that’s the reason why you were able to get a licence to operate before the ten year licence was up?”
Dr. Geoffrey Seersland
“I don’t really think that would be it in its entirety?”
Dr. Henry Haire
“I feel that any contract is only as good as the individuals who enforce it. And I don’t feel that either side has fully complied or has fully completed their portion of the contract.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“Either side meaning government is in this?”
Dr. Henry Haire
“Well, I think there’s a side of St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine and I think there’s the government who has the other side and you know it’s a very sensitive issue.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“Have you met with the government? Has there been a representation to the government?”
Dr. Henry Haire
“Yes, we have met with them.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“What are they saying?”
Dr. Henry Haire
“I prefer not to make that statement at this time.”
In the meantime, Dr. Haire says when they officially close down their operation on April thirtieth, Belize stands to lose huge sums of money.
Dr. Henry Haire
“The economic impact of St. Matthew’s University upon Belize, is about forty million U.S. dollars per year. So it’s a significant impact and we’re sensitive to that, and we realise that it hurts everybody.”
Ann-Marie Williams for News 5.
While San Pedro is saying goodbye to St. Matthews, very soon they’ll be welcoming another medical school, when St. Luke’s Medical University opens for business in early May.
